Device for moving an elongated body in the direction of its axis

ABSTRACT

An endless belt is mounted on spaced drums with one reach of the belt being helically wrapped about an elongated body and with the other reach twisted through an angle of about 360*. Means are provided to rotate one of the drums. The device is shown cooperating with an elongated body in the form of a tapered rod and having takeup means to keep the belt taut. The device is also disclosed in cooperation with a screw operatively associated with a pair of nuts. Finally, the device is disclosed in cooperation with a tube comprising a helical axially extending ribbon of spring material which has adjacent turns set to coil tightly in overlapping and telescoping engagement. In this embodiment the tube is mounted for storage in a rotatably mounted container, the movement of which is restricted by a damper.

United States Patent July 25, 1972 Guerster [54] DEVICE FOR MOVING AN ELONGATED BODY IN THE DIRECTION OF ITS AXIS [72] Inventor: Rene L. Guerster, Maple Glen, Pa.

[73] Assignee: Ametek, Inc., New York, N.Y.

[22] Filed: June 3, 1970 [21] Appl. No.: 43,026

[52] US. Cl. ..242/54 R, 52/108, 214/338, 242/ 1 18.32 [51] Int. Cl ..B65h 75/00 [58] Field of Search ..242/54, 55, 118.32; 214/338, 214/339; 52/108 [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,467,329 9/1969 Giltner ..52/108 X 2,168,203 8/1939 Green "214/338 X 3,448,939 6/1969 Bieber ..242/54 R 1,740,430 12/1929 Mudd ..214/338 X 3,361,377 l/l968 Trexler,Jr. ..242/54A 3,455,521 7/1969 Cunningham etal ..242/1l8.32

Primary Examiner-Stanley N. Gilreath Assistant Examiner-Milton Gerstein Attorney-Smith, Harding, Earley & Follmer [5 7] ABSTRACT An endless belt is mounted on spaced drums with one reach of the belt being helically wrapped about an elongated body and with the other reach twisted through an angle of about 360. Means are provided to rotate one of the drums. The device is shown cooperating with an elongated body in the form of a tapered rod and having takeup means to keep the belt taut. The device is also disclosed in cooperation with a screw operatively associated with a pair of nuts. Finally, the device is disclosed in cooperation with a tube comprising a helical axially extending ribbon of spring material which has adjacent turns set to coil tightly in overlapping and telescoping engagement. In this embodiment the tube is mounted for storage in a rotatably mounted container, the movement of which is restricted by a damper.

3 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures saw 1 GF 3 i Q Q N w- El o S ww E 3 k INVENTOR RENE L. GUERSTER ATTORNEYS SHEEF 0F 3 mvsm'on RENE L. GUERSTER 8W Lu f ATTORNEYS PNlENIEnJums m2 sum 3 0r 3 8 8 2 1 2 6 I w.. 2 I o LOAD 84 mvs'm'oa RENE L. GUERSTER g g 54g ATTORNEYS DEVICE FOR MOVING AN ELONGATED BODY IN THE DIRECTION OF ITS AXIS BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION There is no prior art device suitable for moving an elongated body in the direction of its axis irrespective of whether or not the body has a uniform cross section. While it is well known to advance a screw through a nut or the like, there has not been heretofore a helically engaging belt means for performing this operation. Finally, while self-erecting spiral tube devices are known from, for example, as disclosed in C. M. Giltner US. Pat. No. 3,467,329, it has not been known heretofore to employ belt means in the actuation of such devices for either collapsing them into a storage position within a container or to cooperate with the self-erecting characteristic of said devices to produce a marked increase in the load bearing capacity of the devices as is accomplished by this invention.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An endless belt is mounted on a pair of spaced drums with means to move the belt. One reach of the belt is helically wrapped about an el ongated body. Advantageously, takeup means are provided to keep the belt taut. When the device is employed with a self-erecting tube associated with rotatable storing means, the rotatable storing means is advantageously connected to damping means.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a front perspective view of a device in accordance with the invention associated with a tapered rod;

FIG. 2 is a device in accordance with the invention associated with a screw cooperating with a pair of fixed nuts; and

FIG. 3 is a side perspective view of a device in accordance with the invention associated with a self-erecting tube.

PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Referring now to FIG. 1, a tapered tube 2 is supported for sliding axially on supports 4 and 6 in V-shaped slots 8 and 10 respectively. An endless belt 12 has a portion 14 helically wrapped about tube 2. Belt 12 has teeth 16 on one side thereof which engage teeth 18 of drum 20 and teeth 22 of drum 24. Drum 20 is mounted for rotation on its axis on a bracket 26 and can be rotated in either direction by means of a crank 28. Drum 24 is mounted for rotation on its axis on a lever 30 which in turn is pivotally mounted at 32 to a bracket 34. An extension spring 36 has a hook end 38 engaging a pin 40 on lever 30 and a hook end 42 engaging a pin 44 secured to a bracket 46. Spring 36 biases lever 30 in a counterclockwise direction as viewed in FIG. 1 and acts to keep the slack out of belt 12.

In operation the rotation of crank 28 clockwise as viewed in FIG. 1 advances the upper reach of belt 12 from drum 24 to drum 20 causing the portion 14 of belt 12 to rotate tube 2 about its axis in a clockwise direction as viewed looking at the tube 2 from the right hand end thereof and advances the tube to the right as viewed in FIG. I. The movement of crank 28 in a counterclockwise direction as viewed in FIG. 1 moves the belt 12 in the opposite direction which causes the tube 2 to be rotated in the opposite and advance to the left as viewed in FIG. 1.

Referring now to FIG. 2, the device 11 is shown with the portion 14 helically wound about a screw 52 which threadably engages a pair of internally threaded members 54 and 56 which are respectively mounted on brackets 58 and 60. The helix angle of the portion 14 of belt 12 is the same as that of the thread 62 of member 52.

As crank 28 is rotated clockwise as viewed in FIG. 2 the advance of the upper reach of belt 12 from drum 24 to drum 20 will rotate screw 52 clockwise as viewed from its right hand end and cause it to advance to the right as it rotates through threaded members 54 and 56. Since the helix angle of portion 14 of belt 12 and of thread 62 is the same, there will be no slipping between the belt and the screw 52. The reverse rota tion and an advance to the left as viewed in FIG. 2 is accomplished by rotating crank 28 counterclockwise as viewed in FIG. 2.

Referring now to FIG. 3, the device ll of FIG. I is shown in combination with a self-erecting tube device having a selferecting tube 74 comprising a helical axially extending ribbon of spring material which has adjacent turns set to coil tightly in overlapping and telescoping engagement. Tube 74 is of the type disclosed in US. Pat. No. 3,467,329. Tube 74 has its lower end 78 pivotally connected to the interior of a container 80 by means of a rivet indicated at 82. The upper end of tube 74 is shown secured to a load indicated at 84.

A guide pin 88 passes through an opening in the bottom of container 80 and has an enlarged lower portion 92 which supports a bearing 94 which in turn rotatably mounts the bottom of container 80. The upper end 96 of container 80 is mounted for rotation in a bearing 98 secured to a support 100. The lower end of pin 88 is fixedly secured to a platform shown at 102.

A clamping device 104 is mounted on platform 102 and has a tubular member 106 carrying a plunger 108 having a head 110 carrying friction material 112. Plunger 108 is urged upwardly against the bottom of container 80 by means of a compression coil spring 114 which can be adjusted by means of a nut 116 threadably secured to member 106.

In operation, the counterclockwise rotation of drum 20 as viewed in FIG. 3 by the operation of crank 28 moves tube 74 downwardly into container 80 for storage therein in the general manner disclosed in U. S. Pat. No. 3,467,329. The container 80 being mounted for rotation accommodates the rotation of tube 74 which occurs as it extends and retracts. The helix angle of belt portion 14 being equal to the helix angle of the tube 74, the belt and tube travel together without slippage. The damping action of the damping device 104 which retards the rotation of container 80 under the action of tube 74 insures the opening of the coils of the tube 74 as they are fed into the container 80.

A removable stop pin 120 on a chain 122 secured to plate 124 is inserted in opening 126 in plate 124 to stop the clockwise rotation of crank 28 to restrain the. tube 74 from erecting from the storage position. An opening 128 in plate 124 is provided for pin 120 to prevent counterclockwise rotation of crank 28 incident to a heavy load 84 and thus prevent the lowering of tube 74. When it is desired to erect tube 74, pin 120 is removed from opening 126 and crank 28 is rotated clockwise as viewed in FIG. 3 to assist in moving the tube 74 upwardly. The combination of the self-erecting force of the tube 74 per se and of the force exerted by belt 12 permits the tube 74 to lift much larger loads than can be lifted by the tube 74 alone without the use of belt 12. The damping means 104 is also advantageous during the erection of the tube 74 in insuring the tight coiling of the tube portion emerging from container 80.

I claim: I

1. A self-erecting tube device having a helical ribbon spring having adjacent turns set to tightly coil in overlapping and telescoping engagement,

a load mounted on the erecting end of the tube, said load exceeding the axial load bearing strength of the tube per se and overloading the tube per se,

spaced drums,

an endless belt mounted on said drums,

a portion of one reach of said belt being helically disposed for wrapping about an erected portion of said tube device with the helix angle of said portion of one reach being substantially the same as the helix angle of the helical ribbon spring,

spring bias takeup means to keep said endless belt taut, and

means to rotate one of said drums,

said endless belt bearing the overload imposed on the tube by said load and, with the drums and means to rotate,

providing for the erection of the tube despite the overload.

2. The improvement of claim 1 having a rotary storage member to which the ribbon spring is attached for storing a portion of said ribbon spring in a substantially cylindrical coil. 5

3. The improvement of claim 2 having damping means to retard the rotation of the rotary storage member. 

1. A self-erecting tube device having a helical ribbon spring having adjacent turns set to tightly coil in overlapping and telescoping engagement, a load mounted on the erecting end of the tube, said load exceeding the axial load bearing strength of the tube per se and overloading the tube per se, spaced drums, an endless belt mounted on said drums, a portion of one reach of said belt being helically disposed for wrapping about an erected portion of said tube device with the helix angle of said portion of one reach being substantially the same as the helix angle of the helical ribbon spring, spring bias takeup means to keep said endless belt taut, and means to rotate one of said drums, said endless belt bearing the overload imposed on the tube by said load and, with the drums and means to rotate, providing for the erection of the tube despite the overload.
 2. The improvement of claim 1 having a rotary storage member to which the ribbon spring is attached for storing a portion of said ribbon spring in a substantially cylindrical coil.
 3. The improvement of claim 2 having damping means to retard the rotation of the rotary storage member. 